Jake McCarthy's Grand Slam Off Kimbrel Derails Mets' Perfect Road Trip Finish

The Mets were so close. Ten outs away from sweeping the Rockies and rolling into Arizona with a 5-1 record on their West Coast road trip. Then Jake McCarthy happened, and just like that, New York's three-game win streak was dead.

McCarthy was the villain in Denver on Thursday afternoon. First came a game-tying double with two outs in the sixth inning. Then, in the eighth, he took reliever Craig Kimbrel deep for a grand slam that sailed over the right-field foul pole at Coors Field. The ball was so close to being foul that the crew chief actually called for a review, but the fair call stood. Final score: Rockies 6, Mets 2.

The Mets Built a Lead, But Coors Field Was Too Much

New York struck early. In the second inning, an Andy Ibáñez sacrifice fly and a Tyrone Taylor RBI single two batters later gave the Mets a 2-0 lead. That would be it, though. In a ballpark as hitter-friendly as Coors, the Mets could not find any more offense to cushion their position.

Starter Christian Scott gave the team a solid foundation, working 4 2/3 innings and allowing just one run on three hits with two walks and six strikeouts. The bullpen held things together until McCarthy's blast in the eighth blew the game wide open. Even when the Mets got their first two batters on base in the ninth, the deficit was too much to climb back from.

What's Next for New York

The road trip concludes this weekend when the Mets head to Arizona for a series against the D-backs. After Thursday's gut-punch in Denver, they'll be looking to bounce back and salvage something from their time out West.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.